Fabricated brake beam



Oct. 9, 1956 M. E. NOLAN 2,765,882

FABRICATED BRAKE BEAM Filed July 10, 1952 FABRICATED BRAKE BEAM Maizoe E. Nolan, Chicago, 111., assignor to American Steel Foundries, Chicago, 111., a corporation of New Jersey Application July 10, 1952, Serial No. 298,111

9 Claims. (Cl. 188-2236) This invention relates to a fabricated truss type brake beam adapted for use in the brake rigging of a railway car truck and contemplates the provision of a relatively light weight structure which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

This invention further contemplates the provision of a fabricated truss type brake beam provided with guide lugs at its ends for sliding engagement along conventional guide brackets mounted on railway trucks, the lugs being cast integral with filler blocks secured to the ends of the beam.

This invention further contemplates the provision of a brake beam comprising a channel shape compression member and a tension member formed of rod stock, the ends of said members being joined together with the guide lug filler blocks secured thereto, the blocks being positioned between the flanges of the compression member and formed with apertures to receive adjacent ends of the tension member.

This invention further contemplates a truss type brake beam structure having each of its ends enclosed within a sleeve portion of a brake head secured in position by a rivet and the adjacent end of the tension member, the heads being removable from the beam for replacement when damaged in service.

This invention embodies other novel features, details of construction and arrangements of parts which are hereinafter set forth in the specification and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a top plan view illustrating one end of a fabricated truss type brake beam embodying features of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an end view of same;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a top plan view illustrating one end of a modified form of this invention, and

Figure 6 is an end view of same.

Referring now to the drawing for a better understanding of the invention and more particularly to Figures 1 to 4 therein, the brake beam is shown as comprising tension and compression members 2 and 4, respectively, joined together at their ends and having their medial portions connected to a central strut (not shown). As opposite ends of the brake beam are similar in construction, only one end of the beam has been shown and hereinafter described.

The compression member 4 is of channel section having spaced flanges 66 and a connecting web 8, the web being slotted longitudinally at 10 to snugly receive the tongue portion 12 of a filler block 14. The filler block has a body portion 16 engaged against the inner face of the web 8 between the flanges 6-6, the outboard end of the body portion being formed with abutment shoulders 18-18 engaged against the outboard end of the compression member. A guide lug 20 is cast integral with atent O 2,765,882 Patented Oct. 9, 1956 ice the filler block 14 and projects outboardly from the end of the body portion 16 for sliding engagement with a conventional guide bracket (not shown) commonly provided on a railway truck to support the brake beam. The guide lug is preferably cored at 22 to provide a strong, light weight hollow structure, and is inclined downwardly rearwardly from the horizontal plane of the beam.

A brake head 24 is formed with a sleeve portion 26 enclosing adjacent ends of the compression and tension members and the body portion 16 of the filler block 14, the sleeve portion having a front wall 26, rear wall 28, top wall 30, and bottom wall 32 defining a rectangular opening 33 substantially coextensive in length to the body portion 16. The front face 34 of the brake head is formed to receive a conventional brake shoe (not shown).

The tension member 2 is preferably formed of round rod stock bent rearwardly at its end portions 36, while the latter are in a heated relatively soft condition, for engagement within openings 38 in the inboard ends of the filler blocks 14 and apertures 40 in the rear walls 28 of the brake head sleeve portions 26, the ends of the tension member then being upset to form heads 39 engaging the rear faces of their related rear walls 28. As illustrated in Figures 1 and 3, the front walls 26 of the sleeve portions 26 are formed with abutment shoulders 40 to engage the forward sides of the end portions 36 of the tension member. The several parts of the brake beam structure thus shown and described are secured in assembled relation by means of rivets 42 located in registering apertures extending vertically through the top and bottom walls 30 and 32 of the sleeve portion 26, flanges 66 of the compression member 4, and body portion 16 of the filler block 14. The compression mem ber 4, filler blocks 14 and brake heads 24 are preferably secured in assembled relation by the rivets 42 prior to assembly of the tension member 2 thereon.

Figures 5 and 6 in the drawing illustrate a modified form of this invention in which a filler block 14a, compression member 4a, and brake head 24a are secured in assembled relation by a rivet 42, the filler block having an opening 44 leading rearwardly for registry with apertures 46 and 48 formed in the compression member and rear wall 28 respectively. While in a heated relatively soft condition, the end portion 36 of the tension member is forced through the opening 44 and aperture 46 to terminate adjacent the rear face of the compression member for welded engagement thereto and to the filler block at 50. This form of the invention is otherwise similar to the form heretofore described in connection with Figures 1 to 4 in the drawings.

When a brake head 24 is damaged in service, it is removed from the beam, illustrated in Figure 1, by cutting the upset head 39 from the tension member 2 to permit withdrawal of the latter from its opening 38 and then removing the rivet 42. In reassembly of the beam, the original compression member 4 and filler block 14 are assembled with a new brake head and new tension member.

While this invention has been shown in but two forms it is obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed invention.

I claim:

1. In a brake beam, a compression member of channel section having spaced flanges and a connecting web formed with a slot at its outboard end, a filler block having a body portion engaged against said web between said flanges and having a tongue disposed in said slot, said block having an abutment shoulder engaging the end of said compression member, a guide lug cast integral with and projecting outboardly from said body portion and disposed in a diagonal plane diverging downwardly rearwardly from the plane of the brake beam, a brake head having a sleeve portion embracing the compression member adjacent said body portion, said sleeve portion including front, rear, top and bottom walls, said front wall engaging the front face of said body portion, a rivet extending through apertures provided in said body portion, flanges and top and bottom walls to secure the brake head and filler block on said compression member, a tension member having a rearwardly bent end portion projecting through and snugly engaged Within an opening formed in said body portion and tongue and an aperture in said rear wall, and a head integrally formed on the end of said tension member engaging the rear face of said rear wall.

2. In a brake beam, a compression member of channel section having spaced flanges and a connecting web formed with a slot at its outboard end, a filler block having a body portion engaged against said web between said flanges and having a tongue disposed in said slot, said block having an abutment shoulder engaging the end of said compression member, a guide lug cast integral with and projecting outboardly from said body portion and disposed in a diagonal plane diverging downwardly rearwardly from the plane of the brake beam, a brake head having a sleeve portion embracing the compression member adjacent said body portion, said sleeve portion including front, rear, top and bottom walls, said front wall engaging the front face of said body portion, a rivet extending through apertures provided in said body portion, flanges and top and bottom walls to secure the brake head and filler block on said compression member, a tension member having a rearwardly bent end portion projecting through and snugly engaged within an opening formed in said body portion and tongue and an aperture in said rear wall, and a head integrally formed on the end of said tension member engaging the rear face of said rear wall, said sleeve portion being substantially coextensive in length with said body portion, and said guide lug having inboard shoulders engaged with the outboard side of said brake head.

3. In a brake beam, a filler block having a body portion of generally rectangular transverse section and of greater length than width or thickness, a compression member of channel section having spaced flanges and a connecting web engaging adjacent surfaces of said body portion, said web having a longitudinally extending slot and said body portion having a rearwardly projecting tongue disposed in said slot and terminating adjacent the rear face of said web, a brake head having a sleeve portion snugly embracing said compression member and engaging the front side of said body portion, a tension member having an end portion bent rearwardly, said body portion having an opening leading outboardly and thence rearwardly for registry with an aperture in said sleeve portion to snugly receive said. end portion, an opening in the web of said compression member through which is received said tension member and an integral head on said end portion engaging the adjacent side of said sleeve portion.

4. In a brake beam, a filler block having a body portion of generally rectangular transverse section and of greater length than width or thickness, a compression member of channel section having spaced flanges and a connecting web engaging adjacent surfaces of said body portion, said web having a longitudinally extending slot and said body portion having a rearwardly projecting tongue disposed in said slot and terminating adjacent the rear face of said web, a brake head having a sleeve portion snugly embracing said compression member and engaging the front side of said body portion, a tension member having an end portion bent rearwardly, said body portion having an opening leading outboardly and thence rearwardly for registry with an aperture in said sleeve portion to snugly receive said end portion, an opening in the web of said compression member through which is received said tension member and an integral head on said end portion engaging the adjacent side of said sleeve portion, said body portion, sleeve portion and spaced flanges having vertically aligned apertures, and a rivet extending through said vertically aligned apertures.

5. In a brake beam, a filler block having a body portion of generally rectangular transverse section and of greater length than width or thickness, a compression member of channel section having spaced flanges and a connecting web engaging adjacent surfaces of said body portion, said web having a longitudinally extending slot and said body portion having a rearwardly projecting tongue disposed in said slot and terminating adjacent the rear face of said web, a brake head having a sleeve portion snugly embracing said compression member and engaging the front side of said body portion, a tension member having an end portion bent rearwardly, said body portion having an opening leading outboardly and thence rearwardly for registry with an aperture in said sleeve portion to snugly receive said end portion, an opening in the web of said compression member through which is received said tension member an integral head on said end portion engaging the adjacent side of said sleeve portion, said body portion, sleeve portion and spaced flanges having vertically aligned apertures, a rivet extending through said vertically aligned apertures, and a guide lug cast integral with and projecting outboardly from said body portion.

6. In a brake beam, a compression member having spaced flanges and a connecting web, a filler block having a body portion disposed between said flanges and against said web at the end of said member, a tongue extending rearwardly from said body portion and received in a slot in said web to rigidly secure the block to the tension member and to restrict lateral movement therebetween, a brake head sleeved over the end of said compression member and engaging the front side of said body portion, and a tension member having an end portion bent rearwardly and projecting through said body portion and web for engagement therewith, and means to secure said body portion, brake head, tension and compression members in assembled relation, said body portion having shoulders engaging the end of said compres sion member, and a guide lug cast integral with said body portion, said means comprising a weld securing said end portion to said web and body portion.

7. In a brake beam, a brake head having a rectangular opening defined by front, rear, top and bottom walls, a channel-shape compression member having its end disposed within said opening, a filler block having a body portion disposed within said member and having its front face engaged by said front wall, said block having an abutment shoulder engaging the end of said member, and a tension member having its end portion projecting rearwardly through said body portion and compression member and engaged therewith, said tension member having an integral upset portion formed on the rearward extremity thereof and engaging said head and serving to maintain the beam in assembled relation.

8. In a brake beam, a brake head having a rectangular opening defined by front, rear, top and bottom walls, a channel-shape compression member having its end disposed within said opening, a filler block having a body portion disposed within said member and having its front face engaged by said front wall, said block having an abutment shoulder engaging the end of said member, and a tension member having its end portion projecting rearwardly through said body portion and compression member and engaged therewith, said tension member having an integral upset portion formed on the rearward extremity thereof and engaging said head and serving to maintain the beam in assembled relation, said body portion comprising an outboardly projecting guide lug having parallel top and bottom surfaces diagonally disposed to a horizontal plane through the center of the beam.

9. In a brake beam, a brake head having a rectangular opening defined by front, rear, top and bottom walls, a channel-shape compression member having its end disposed within said opening, a filler block having a body portion disposed within said member and having its front face engaged by said front Wall, said block having an abutment shoulder engaging the end of said member, and a tension member having its end portion projecting rearwardly through said body portion and compression member and engaged therewith, said tension member having an integral upset portion formed on the rearward extremity thereof and engaging said head and serving to maintain the beam in assembled relation, said body portion comprising an outboardly projecting guide lug having parallel top and bottom surfaces diagonally disposed to a horizontal plane through the center of the beam,

and means to secure adjacent ends of said members to each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 438,673 Barnes Oct. 21, 1890 720,678 Crone Feb. 7, 1903 766,362 Lamont Aug. 12, 1904 884,446 Williams Apr. 14, 1908 943,021 Huntoon Dec. 14, 1909 1,873,245 Abegg Aug. 23, 1932 1,899,343 Mackey et a1 Feb. 28, 1933 2,469,083 Schaefer May 3, 1949 2,473,002 Baselt June 14, 1949 2,478,991 Walker Aug. 16, 1949 2,480,857 Hess Sept. 6, 1949 2,524,740 Tack Oct. 3, 1950 2,646,861 Weisberger July 28, 1953 

